Tender Shepherd
by Purple Shamrock 17
Summary: Oneshot. Based on the idea of Peter taking children to heaven. It sort of explains why he was delayed in getting his shadow. Note: I deleated this to fix something that would have nagged at me otherwise! Please read and review!


Tender Shepherd

Author's Note: The title of this oneshot comes from the musical. Enjoy and please review!

**There were odd stories about him. Like the fact that when children died he would go part of the way with them so that they should not be frightened.**

**---J.M. Barrie, **_**Peter Pan**_

It was a cool night at the end of summer and the window of a nursery was open to let in the refreshing breeze. Inside, a young woman sat next to a small bed watching her little daughter sleep. This might have been a very touching moment, except for the fact that the little girl's face was very pale. Her mother grasped one of her daughter's cold hands in hers, bowed her head and began to weep.

Outside the room, the girl's father and grandparents talked quietly with the family doctor. The child's grandfather hugged his wife as she sobbed into his shoulder. "How could you let this happen?" he growled. "You said she would get better!"

"Some things are beyond my control," said the doctor sadly, "and that includes death."

"Please," croaked the girl's father, "I must tend to my wife."

The group nodded silently and followed the grieving man into the room.

As they positioned themselves around the small bed, none of them noticed that a boy had appeared at the open window. He stepped into the room as silently as a breath of wind. He was a very unusual boy dressed in a costume of leaves with tousled golden brown hair and light blue eyes that sparkled brilliantly. A tiny light hovered around his head, jingling softly.

He saw the people gathered around the bed and he bowed his head, overcome with sadness. It passed quickly and he leapt jauntily into the room and positioned himself at the end of the bed with his arms folded across his chest and a large smile on his face. As he expected, the adults did not give any sign that they saw him. For they had stopped believing long ago and could not see him.

It was then that the little girl opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was her mother who was crying softly while her father stroked her hair. The little girl was confused. She had thought she had only fallen asleep and now she had woken up to find her mother crying. Why was that? Her mother never cried when she had woken up before.

She sat up a little and saw her grandparents and the doctor. The doctor's face was grave and the faces of her grandparents were streaked with tears. Then, she caught sight of the boy.

She was not alarmed at all to see him standing there. She felt as if she knew him from somewhere, but she couldn't remember from exactly where. Perhaps she had seen him in a dream.

They looked at each other for a few minutes before the girl flung her blankets aside and bounded over to where the boy stood, eager to learn how she knew him and why her mother was crying.

"Hello," she said when she reached him. "What is your name?"

"My name is Peter," said the boy. "Peter Pan." He bowed low to her and asked politely, "What is your name, little one?"

"Mary," said the girl, giggling at his bow. "My name is Mary and I'm six!"

She looked at him for a few minutes before she noticed something strange about him, besides the fact that he wore nothing but leaves or the light that hovered around his head.

"Peter," said Mary slowly. "Where's your shadow?"

"It came off," said Peter with a causal shrug, as if losing one's shadow was common occurrence. "I was on my way to get it back when I saw another shadow hanging over your house."

"A shadow of what?" Mary asked, suddenly afraid.

"The shadow of Death," said Peter solemnly.

"Oh." Now she understood why she had 'fallen asleep' and had woken up to see the doctor and her crying mother.

"I—I was really sick," she said, her voice shaking.

"Yes, you were sick for a long, long time," said Peter nodding. "But you're much better now and you'll never get sick like that again."

Mary nodded as tears formed her eyes. Peter crouched down to her level and placed his tanned hands on her shoulders.

"There's no need to cry," he said soothingly as he brushed the tears from her face. "I'm here now and I've come to teach you to fly and we will fly far away from here."

"But, I'll never see Mother again!" Mary moaned.

"Sure you will. You can see her anytime you want. They're nice about things like that." Peter told her as he stood up and took one of her small hands in his.

"Will you teach me to fly?" Mary inquired, looking up at him.

Peter grinned and snatched the light out of the air and sprinkled something gold and glittering onto her.

"Is this fairy dust?" asked Mary in awe.

"Yes," said Peter with a laugh. He gestured to the light and added, "This is my fairy, Tinker Bell."

The little girl squealed with delight at the sight of the tiny fairy and somehow she knew what she had to do if she wanted to fly.

She thought of what lay ahead of her and that soon she would be flying high in the sky. Slowly, she felt her feet leave the ground and soon she was looking Peter straight in the eye.

"Oh, Peter!" she cried happily. "I'm flying!"

Peter laughed and flew up towards the ceiling, taking her along with him. Then, they descended slowly and landed on the window sill.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked softly.

Mary nodded and looked back into the room that had been hers. Her mother was still enveloped in her father's arms. She gasped softly when she saw the pale form of herself lying in the bed. Suddenly, she became frightened at the thought of leaving her mother forever. She huddled close to Peter and whispered, "Peter, I'm frightened! I don't want leave Mother!"

"Don't worry, I'm going with you," he said with a grin, "at least for part of the way!"

This cheered her up and she stepped away from him and he took her hand once more and said, "Come, we should be on our way."

Mary nodded silently and turned to face the window. She glanced back at her mother and whispered a good-bye before she leapt off of the sill, tightening her grip on Peter's hand.

The cool wind rushed past her face as they plummeted to the ground. Mary screamed softly before Peter shot upwards into the sky, pulling her with him. Mary squeezed her eyes shot as they flew higher and higher.

Soon, Peter whispered into her ear. "Open your eyes."

She did so cautiously and gasped to see all of London spread out around her. She could see nothing but the pinpricks of glowing lights of the windows far below her.

Peter smiled at her awestruck face before darting away and called, "Come away! Come away!"

Laughing, Mary followed and before long she was flying high in the sky as Peter flew around her, grinning happily.

The night seemed to last forever. Mary did not know how much time had passed and did not care. She played tag with Peter which was hopeless because he was the best flyer in the world. He showed her some of his tricks and she clapped enthusiastically which seemed to please him.

Then, they sat for awhile on a cloud where Peter told about his home called Neverland. He described lush forests, mermaids, fairies, the enchanting lagoon and his enemy Captain Hook so well that the little girl longed to go there.

"Peter, it sounds wonderful!" Mary sighed. "Will you take me there?"

Peter shook his head sadly. "No, you must go somewhere else, someplace far better than Neverland, I'm sure."

"But—but will I ever see you again?" she asked, hopefully.

Peter put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head sadly. "No, I don't think you will. But, always keep your ears open and some nights you might hear me crow."

Mary nodded to show she understood and Peter smiled in return. Then, he stood up and leapt off of the cloud and Mary followed.

They flew for a little while longer before Peter halted suddenly and looked up at the black sky.

"This is where I leave you," he said when Mary had flown up beside him. "You must continue on your own now."

Mary looked up at the large expanse of sky which was devoid of stars. "Peter, it's so dark," she mumbled. "I—I'm afraid of the dark!"

"Don't be afraid," he assured her. "There's always a light that can shine through darkness."

He wrapped his arms around her small shoulders and she hugged him back, feeling as if she were losing a close friend. When Peter let go, his fairy flew forward and kissed her on the nose. Mary giggled as Peter directed her toward the blackness.

Before she flew off she looked back at Peter and said, "Thank you Peter, I couldn't have done this without you. Are---are you an angel?"

Peter shrugged, looking a little confused. "I don't know. But, I am the Boy Who Never Grew Up. I am youth and I am joy."

Mary nodded and then said, "I hope you find your shadow!"

He laughed. a high joyous laugh. "I'm sure I will!" Then his face became serious again. "You must go, little one. They are waiting."

"Good-bye, Peter."

"Good-bye," he whispered.

With a last look at the strange boy, Mary turned and flew high into the sky. Peter watched her until she was nothing more than a tiny white speck and then she was gone.

He turned slowly away from the place where the little girl had gone and shook his head sadly. "Why must Death grip the hearts of the young and innocent? She had so much life in her and yet she was dead." He wondered aloud.

He sighed heavily and whispered, "She is beginning a great adventure." Then, a smile lit up his face and he looked at Tinker Bell and said, "Come, Tink, it's time to find my shadow!"

With that, he dived gracefully down to the earth below him, wondering what sort of adventure the discovery of his shadow would bring.


End file.
